UK closures ‘catastrophic’
May 24, 2016
THE potential closures of up to
one in four community pharmacies
in the UK will place an “untenable
burden on local GPs,” according
to Pharmacy Voice, which is
campaigning against proposed
massive cuts to pharmacy funding.
A statement issued overnight cites
a new report called ‘Dispensing
Health Equality’ which includes
research showing that, if faced by
a closure, more than one in four
people who would normally seek
advice from their local pharmacy
on common ailments would instead
make an appointment with a GP.
The document argues that such
an uplift in GP appointments will
put impossible pressure on the
health system, particularly in areas
which find it difficult to attract GPs
in the first place.
The government is consulting on
plans to reduce pharmacy spending
by as much as £170 million, saying
the average community pharmacy
in England receives about £220,000
in National Health Service funding
annually.
Too many chemists are located
too close to each other, with 40% in
clusters of three or more within a
ten minute walk of each other, the
government argues, with a public
consultation on the proposals
closing today.
The Pharmacy Voice paper
highlights the key role community
pharmacy is playing in addressing
health inequalities, sharing a
number of case studies from across
the country of people whose “lives
and health would be affected by
the withdrawal of a key health
service” - see pharmacyvoice.com.
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